Portable drum rack



Feb. 6, 1962 F. F. MALcHl-:R

PORTABLE DRUM RACK 'Filed May 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR |||||||l|H UNSS Feb. 6, 1962 F. F. MALCHER 3,019,916

PORTABLE DRUM RACK Filed May 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lUnited States Patent 3,019,916 PRTABLE DRUM RACK Frank F. Malcher, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to Republic Steel Corporation, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Newy Jersey Filed May 9, 1958, Ser. No. 734,315 1 Claim. (Cl. 21410.5)

This invention relates to a portable drum rack.

The invention is more particularly concerned with portable knock-down racks designed to facilitate the storing, stacking'and transportation of drums, barrels or other cylindrical bodies.

While the improved rack according to the present in vention is adaptable for use with cylindrical bodies of different kinds, it is especially adapted for use with loaded steel drums.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a rack which is symmetricalv to a central horizontal plane and a central vertical plane whereby the rack is adapted for support on a pair of drums and is also adapted to support a pair of drums above the first pair of drums.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rack which embodies a pair of drum-supporting end frames which are constructedrom channel members, and which end frames are interconnected by channel-shaped members, thereby providing a rigid structure which is relatively light in weight while being capable of supporting substantial loads.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rack of the above noted general character wherein the said drum-supporting end frames each embody opposed pairs of concave drum seats in vertically spaced relation, and said frames are interconnected by transverse members being disposed intermediate said seats whereby provision is made for admission of the forks of fork-lift trucks from the front or sides of the frames for lifting same together with a pair of drums supported thereby.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a rack of the general character above referred to which is of ready knock-down construction for facilitatmg compact shipment of the racks and space saving storage thereof when not in use.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the course of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is an end elevational view of one of the improved drum racks in accordance With a preferred structural embodiment thereof.

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the improved rack.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmental horizontal sectional view as observed in the plane of line 3--3 on FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmental view as observed from the right of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view as observed in the plane of line S-S on FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the improved rack.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view, more or less diagrammatic in nature and showing a loaded rack being forklifted from engagement with a pair of rack-supported drums.

FIGURE 8 is likewise a diagrammatic perspective view showing a fork-lift truck approaching a plurality of rack stacked loaded drums from a side thereof and also from an end thereof.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the improved rack, as shown in detail in FIGURES 1 to 5 inclusive, is designated in its entirety as 10.

The rack 18 comprises a pair of spaced parallel drumsupporting end frames 11 having the contour as shown 3,019,9l6 `Patented Feb. 6, 1962 2 A in FIGURE 1 and each frame 11 is of transverse channel form as indicated in FIGURE 5 with the legs of the channel extending inwardly of the frame.

Each frame 11 preferably comprises two like sections 12 having their horizontally aligned ends abutted as at 13 and welded for facilitating manufacture of the frame.

' The upper and lower sections 12 are each provided with a pair of arcuatedrum seating portions 14 with those on one section convexly opposing those on the other section and the opposite ends of the sections are curved as at 15. The space between the adjacent convex portions of the rails provides lifting access for the tynes of a lift fork when the truck is moved parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drums, as shown at the righthand side of FIG. 8.

Each frame 1'1 is reinforced by a pair of horizontally spaced and vertically disposed channel shaped struts 16 which are positioned on opposite sides of the center lines of the arcuate seating' portions 14 as is clearly indicated in FIGURE 1. s

The channel struts l16 have the terminals of their side flanges rigidly secured to thesections 12 and the bight portions of the channel struts are cut away as at 17 to accommodate the sections 12.

The opposed frames 11 are interconnected by transversely disposed channel bars 18 whose opposite ends are ilattened as at 19 and. which arev rigidly connected to the struts 16 by bolts 20. The bars 13 are disposed within the frame and medially of the convex seats of the frames to be accessible to the tynes of a lift fork moving in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal axes of the drum seats, as shown at the lefthand side of FIG. 8.

From the above it will be apparent that the rack is, due to its channel bar construction, relatively light in weight, while being of suilicient strength to withstand the weight of one or more pairs of loaded drums D thereon.

Furthermore, the improved rack is highly simple in construction and is capable of being disassembled for compact storage thereof when no required for use.

The construction of the improved rack and an appreciation of its relative simplicity can be more readily visualized upon inspection of FIGURE 6, from which it will be seen that the rack 10 is supportable upon a pair of spaced parallel loaded drums D and is also capable of supporting a air of spaced parallel loaded drums as well as another rack with a pair of spaced parallel drums supported thereby.

It is to be particularly observed that the rack 10 is open from either side or either end for the reception of the forks F of fork-lift trucks T (FIGURES 7 and 8).

In FIGURE 7 there is shown three racks 10, the lowermost of which is floor-supported and supports a pair of drums D on which is supported the second rack 1l) which in turn supports a pair of drums D.

The third rack 10, with a pair of drums supported thereon, has been lifted by the forks F of a lift-truck T. It will be observed that the lift forks F enter the racks between the vertical struts 16 and contact the lower edges of the seating portions 14.

FIGURE 8 illustrates the adaptation of a fork-lift truck T in a direction parallel with the axes of the drums D as in FIGURE 7 and also in a direction at right angles to the axes of the drums.

In the rst instance a rack 10 will be lifted by the forks F and therewith a pair of drums D, while in the second instance the forks F will extend between the frames 11 above the bars 18 and will lift either one or two drums D. However, the forks F may extend beneath the bars 18 and lift the entire rack with its supported pair of drums D .From the above disclosure it will Ybe observed that the improved drum racks have the following advantagesy yamable provide a quick, safe and easy method of moving and handling loaded steel drums; make it possible to store more in-use drums in less space than heretofore; handling and storage of the drums is safer and same are less liable to damage; the handling and storage method with the present racks offers complete flexibility as any pair of drums D can readily be removed without excessive handling of the other drums; eticient inventory control is easier to maintain with the present orderly and accessible storage method; the racks provide ready access to the drums for bung draw-off therefrom; and storing drums horizontally instead of vertically eliminates collection of water and dirt around openings therein.

Having set forth the invention in accordance with a preferred structural embodiment thereof, what is claimed and desired to be secured by U.S. Letters Patent is:

A portable skeleton rack for the storage and transporting of drums in pairs adapted to permit the removal of one or both drums at the top of the stack by the tynes of a lift fork from a direction transverse to the axis of the drums without disturbing the rack or other drums, said rack comprising, in combination, a pair of drums supporting end frames each including upper and lower rails having substantially horizontal portions provided with spaced arcuate drum seats extending inwardly of the frame toward each other, and having their crown portions spaced apart; laterally spaced vertical struts lying substantially in the plane of the end frames and con ynecting the upper and lower frame rails at either side when the truck carrying the tynes moves parallel to the longitudinal axis of the drums to lift the frames and drums; two sets of cross members having opposite end portions detachably secured to said vertically disposed struts, said cross members locatedy in a common horizontal plane medially between the crown portions of said upper and lower rails and at right angles to the planes of said end frames, whereby, when the tynes of the lift fork move in a direction parallel to the axis of the drums they will enter the space between the struts and said crown portions, and when the tynes of the lift fork move transversely to the axis of the drum and engage beneath both sets of cross members, the rack with both drums mounted thereon may be handled for stacking, and when the tynes of the lift fork pass above one or both sets of said cross members and tangentially engage one or both drums, the latter may be removed from the rack without disturbing the companion drum or the rack at the top of the stack.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNTTED STATES PATENTS 921,855 Loskamp May 18, 1909 1,427,248 Weston Aug. 22, 1922 1,631,304 Willoughby`-v June 7, 1927 2,611,495 Weaver Sept. 23, 1952 2,762,514 McGinn Sept. 11, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 659,005 Great Britain Oct. 17, 1951 83,744 Denmark Oct. 28, 1957 

